Surgical belt



May 16, 1933. H OEB, SR 1,908,906

SURGICAL BELT Filed Sept. 17, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l WWLHQ @w @Mim- 6 25ze E@ 29 z@ 3mm,

H. L OEB, SR

May 16, 1933.

SURGICAL BELT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 17, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENTOFI-lcs HENRY LoEB, sn., or MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE SURGICAL BELT Applicationfiled September 17, 1932. Serial No. 633,557.

My invention relates to a surgical belt and it is an object of the sameto provide a belt -equipped with means for exerting pressure on thespine. 5, Another object of the invention is to provide such a belt withmeans serving ei'ectively to preserve the desired relation of all theparts. c

Another object of the invention is to provide a belt of the characterdescribed which shall aiit'ord considerable freedom of movement to theuser while at the same time serving eiectively to exert pressure at thedesired place.

Referring to the drawings, which are made a.- part of this applicationand 1n which similar reference characters indicate similar parts:

Fig. 1 is an elevation illustrating in a general way the manner of useof the belt,

Fig. 2, a perspective of the belt on a larger scale,

Fig. 3, a section on line 3--3 of 2,

Fig. 4, a section on line 4.--4 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 5, an elevation of a fragment of a strap attached to the belt,

Fig. 6, a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 5,

Figs 7 to 10, a series of perspectives illus- 30 trating the manner ofapplying the belt and the positions of the various parts when in use,

Fig. 11, a detail of a slide shown in Fig. 10, and

Fig. 12, a cross-section of a modified form of slide together with thestrap engaged thereby.

In the drawings reference character indicates the body of the belt,which may be made of any suitable material such as cotton webbing. Nearthe ends of said body portion strips 16 of elastic webbing areinterposed between said portion and forks 17 constituting the ends ofthe body portion proper. At a point of the body portion adjacent thespine there are shown three upright stiiiening members 18, 19 and 20,these being of rigid or lsubstantially rigid material, such as springsteel. Between the ends of the 5 belt and the three members justreferred to (whose number may of course be varied to suit particularconditions) theremay be one or more additional and similar uprightstiffenmg members 22 extending approximately from edge to edge of thebelt to prevent wrinkling of the belt.

In Fig. 3 I have shown the belt as consistmg of two thicknesses ofmaterial with stliening members 18, 19, 20 fastened between them insuitable manner. The number of straps may be varied as needed for theparticular situation, i. e., whether the treatment 1s for spinalVtrouble, stoop shoulders, a Weak back, broken ribs, etc. The member 19is provided with pins 23, of which four are shown. These pins areintended to coact w1th apertures at 24 in body-encircling straps 25 forpreventing the body-encircling straps from moving up or down withreferenceto the body portion of the belt. The straps 25 are providedwith a suiiicient number of holes to permit the necessary adjustment ofthe straps according to the waist measure of the user and the straps areprovided with buckles 26 or other convenient means for securing theirends together.

It will be noted that the ends of the body portion of the belt areforked so that the interengaging straps will tend to hold each other inplace, as more fully explained hereinafter. If desired I may rely on thepins 23 to hold the straps in place by engagement with apertures 24 or Imay add a narrow strip of material 26 (Fig. 4) formed into loopsextending over each strap, said strip 35 being secured at its ends tothe body of the belt and being also secured thereto at intermediatepoints so as to form a primary guide for eac-h strap to hold the sameapproximately in desired position relatively tothe body of the belt.

It is sometimes desirable to exert pressure against the sustainingmembers 18, 19, 20 as when the back of the user is hollowed out morethan usual. For such use I provide means illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6,consisting of blocks or heavy strips 27 of flexible material such asrubber, these being vsecured to the respective straps in any suitablemanner as by means of rivets 28. These rubber 100 blocks are providedwith holes 29 of suitable size to engage over projecting pins 23 and asthey are at the inner side of the respective strips it will be seen thatthey will press 5 yieldingly but effectively against the sustainmgmembers 18 to 20 to force them inwardly against the spine. Figs. 7 to 10illustrate successive steps in the application of my surgical belt tothe 10 body. In Fig. 7 it will be seen how the straps 25 and the forks17 are crossed or interlaced so as to hold the parts in place at thefront and also how the two upper straps completely encircle the bodytwice, each one passing once around the body and the ends being thensecured together by means of a buckle 26, the tongue of the buckle onone strap engaging openings at 30 near the end of the other strap. Inlike manner the lower pair of straps each pass copplctely around thebody and are then buc led together at the front or at the side, as thecase maybe,

as more particularly illustrated in Fig. 9.

A preferred means for holding the straps against up and' down movementrelative to the body of the belt `is illustrated in Flgs. 9, 10 and 11.Such means comprises a slide 31 adapted to be mounted on abody-encircling strap in freely slidable relation thereto, 1n suchmanner that the slot at 32 is at the inner side of the strap or inposition to receive a pin 23. It will be evident that the slide can moverelatively to the pin 23, as in the case of the form of the inventionfirst described and this affords greater freedom `for movement of thebody of the user, all without in any Way detracting from the eiliciencyof the belt. The slide is ,provided with upper and lower anges 33 toengage 40 the edges of the strap on which it is mounted and preventloss.

Fig. 9 shows the belt in the position assumed by the parts when in use,this being a front view whereas Fig. 10 is a similar view from the rear.

In Figs. 4 and 12 I have shown a slightly modified form of slide 31generally similar to that of Fig. 11 except that the anges 33 are bentdown to substantial L-shape as shown at 35, this being a preferable formfor the reason that the slide can not so readily slip off its strap. Theslot for engaging a pin 23 is shown at 32.

Preferably the sustaining members are parallel, this arrangement beingmost effective for exerting pressure on the backbone in desired manner.Ordinarily the belt is about six inches wide and when made of such widththe upper and lower straps fall respectively above and below the swellof the abdomen so as to be effective for holding the front of the beltat the desired height.

It is to be noted that the use of blocks or pads 27 serves to bringadditional and effec- 65 tive pressure on the sustaining ribs 18 to 20(of whatever number may be desirable) all without requiring undesirabletightening of the straps 25.

Because of the shape and arrangement of the forks 17, and the strapsv25, the belt when in use appears and feels as if it were all one pieceand fabric is economized with substantially uniform ressure at the frontand sides and with e ective support of the spine, yet the belt is socomfortable that the sleep of a patient wearing the same is notinterferred with.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications may be made in my device without departing from the spiritof the invention and that it may be used in other ways or for otherreasons and purposes than those herein set forth, and therefore I do notlimit myself to what is shown in the drawings and described in thespecification but only as indicated in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a surgical belt a wide body-encircling portion, an upright stay onsaid portion positioned to bear against the spine of the user,vertically spaced straps attached to the ends of said wide portion,vertically spaced pins on said stay for holding the straps in place atthe back of the user, and resilient blocks on the inner faces of saidstraps for exerting yielding pressure on said stay said blocks havingholes to engage said pins.

2. In a surgical belt a wide body-encircling portion, an upright stay onsaid portion positioned to bear against the spine of the user,vertically spaced straps attached to the ends of said wide portion,vertically spaced pins on said stay for holding the straps in place atthe back of the user, and cushioning means between the straps and thestay whereby said stay is pressed resiliently against the spine.

3. In a surgical belt, a wide body-encircling portion, an upright stayon said portion positioned to bear against the spine of the user,vertically spaced straps attached to the ends of said wide portion,vertically spaced pins on said stay for holding the straps in place atthe back of the user, and slides on the straps said slides having slotsto engage said pins for positioning the straps at the back of the user.

4. In a surgical belt, a wide body-encircling portion, an upright stayon said portion positioned to bear against the spine o'f the user,vertically spaced straps attached to the-ends of said wire portion,vertcally spaced pins on said sta for holding the straps in place at theack of the user, slides on the straps said sides having slots to engagesaid ins for positioning the straps at the back o the user, and loops onthe belt adjacent said stay for roughly positioning the straps.

5. In a surgical belt, a wide body-encircling portion, an upright stayon said portion positioned to bear against the spine of the user, a pairof vertically spaced straps attached to each end of said wide portion,each strap extending completely around the body, means at the ends ofthe stra s for connecting them at the front of the b y,

and means on said wide portion for holdin the straps in spaced relationat the bac of the body.

6. In a surgical belt a wide body-encircling portion, an upright stay onsaid portion positioned to bear against the spine of the user, verticallspaced straps attached to the ends of sai wide portion, each` strapextending completely around the body, means at the ends of the strapsfor connecting them at the front of the body, and means on said wideportion for holding the straps in spaced relation at the back of thebody the wide body-encircling portion having tapering portions forattachment of the respective straps, said portions being shaped forinterengagement to provide a zone of substantially uniform widthextending completely about the body. In testimony whereof I aiiix mysignature.

HENRY LoEB, sn.

